White Knights, the true enemies of sexual equality.

[Loner Jo Jo]

White Knight Syndrome

n. A personality characteristic found in most males that lead them to:
.
.
.
3. Follow the dying code of chivalry and generally act like a nice guy.

So you would rather men didn't treat women decently and act like a nice person? Maybe I'm just old fashoned in thinking that chivalry is a good thing compared to youngsters and their MP3s and their internets these days. Obvious irony is obvious

TLDR: Do not defend someone because they are a woman, defend someone because they are a person.

That's all very well and on the whole I agree with the fact that women can be treated poorly on the internet, when they are singled out, because they are women but on the occasion that a female storms onto the internet and says "LOOOK! I am a woman!!11" then they are going to get attention and they know it. At that point they have no right to complain.

I think you just proved his point ironically. One, you assert that women should be treated special just because they are women. Not because you should act kindly towards all people, regardless of sex, race or creed. Second, you then state that if a woman on the internet declares she is a woman, which is merely a fact which could lend itself to aiding her experiences that help support her position she is defending, then she deserves whatever attention she gets, good or bad.

Yes, I understand that you mean when a woman says something along the lines of "I'm a woman so therefore I'm right" which would be just as ridiculous for a man to argue, but still you're entire is sexist. It's just the type of sexist that's okay in society still.

 

[Denariax]

I don't specifically hate on women. I specifically hate on both genders when they present themselves to me for hating on.

We are all equal in our misfortunes.

 

[geK0]

i agree with the op completely. in the internet, feminism seems to almost be seen as an insult. i will proudly state that im a feminist and i have seen many threads where females are shot down for simply saying that something bothers them and indeed i have been attacked just for defending feminism. it has gotten to the point where im almost am afraid to even touch feminist topics, except on sites that are set up as communities for feminists. sadly, as moviebob has indicated before, this site is far from a safe place for feminists and i can predict that this thread will not get very much love

There's plenty of sexism on the internet, I dislike it as much as you do. The thing about this thread that is bothering everyone is the fact that it accuses any guy who stands up for women of not only being sexist but as being "true enemies of sexual equality" (which is so ironic, I think it might be a troll thread :\).

It seems to me like whistle-blowing on acts that were not intended to be sexist, doesn't help the situation AT ALL, especially when said people are on your side. I for one would be quite insulted if I were to be sassed because I opened the door for a woman; I don't do it because I think anyone is really incapable of opening the door or because I want in anyone's pants, it's just common decency! I open the door for anyone who happens to be behind me!
People are just too willing to throw around words like 'sexist' 'homophobic' and 'racist'; these are strong accusations which shouldn't be used so lightly.

 

[Combustion Kevin]

I find it rather disturbing that whenever someone does something nice (wether it be RL or online), they do it for a reward or moral superiority.

Especially on the internet, that is ridiculous being (mostly) anonymous and all, helpful people will be helpful, trolls will be trolls, haters gonna hate, there are practically no consequences.

Being a "white knight" is often confused with being well-mannered, and just like the "nice guy" has been thrown around so many times that the term has lost all meaning.

 

[Talshere]

I have to say it annoys me a little how many people in this thread keep throwing around the old "to treat anyone differently based on sex" bit.

Idk about you, but as a general rule most of my female friends dont act like men. They dont wana act like men and if I treated them such (which would be the actually point of the statement above) theyd be pretty pissed off.

Some women like being one of the lads. Most dont.

We treat the sex's differently. This is not because of inequality, its because, generally, we are different. We enjoy different things. We value different things. We need different things. Its physiological, its psychological, its evolutionary.

What you are TRYING to say, what EVERYONE is trying to say with these comments is that its wrong to devalue someone because they like something you do not.

As a community, I dont not think "we" as in "the internet" do this. We jump on band wagons like "get me a sandwich" for the same reason I say it to my female housemate, not because I think less of her, not because I think her place is the kitchen but because it pisses her off and I know it. Just like she knows tell me a console is better than a PC will send me into a frothing rage. I don't actually expect her to get me a sandwich. Tbh I think Id be scared if she ever did, Id spend the next 2 weeks looking over my shoulder for the other shoe to drop.

The internet, as a hole enjoys annoying people and we love irony. Ok yeah some people are assholes and if you base your "internet" community on the 12 yr olds on XBL then what your getting there isnt irony or annoyance (ok maybe a little annoyance), they are still at the age where girls and boys just look at each other across the playground and whisper ignorantly about cooties.


*Sigh* This is my 2p. Generally I think people who are unable to look past problems and idle, "I know this will piss you off" comments and see only discrimination are half the problem these days. I doubt that half of the "racially motivated assaults" that go on actually are. No doubt some of them are but it wouldnt surprise me to discover its just 2 blokes who got piss and wound each other up. Throwing comments at skin colour at that point is no different than calling someone 4 eyes, fatty, lanky or midget, there drunk and need something easy to insult over. Youd never arrest someone for this, you throw em in a cell for the night till their heads clear and let them slink home when they realise how dumb theyve been. If anything charging these people £3000 and a criminal record will just make them resent which just exacerbates the problem.

 

[enzilewulf]

PROTIP: if everyone feels so uncomfortable for being a woman in the internet, don't disclose it, m'kay?

What this guy said. Your never gonna meet this guy or me or any one from the internet most likely. If your taking this seriously then perhaps you need to go out side... or address more serious social issues in life.

 

[Craorach]

This sort of subject has a tendency to send me into a frothing rage.

I expect people to treat women with respect, because I expect people to treat everyone with respect. I open doors for women because I open doors for everyone, especially someone carrying something, pushing something or who looks like they might have trouble.

Being nice to someone does not make you sexist, racist, or anything else... people who are all those things are assholes, no different from any other asshole in the world, and people who are assholes without prejudice for a reason shouldn't get away with feeling better about themselves because they are "equal opportunity assholes".

Stop attacking "isms" and start attacking people being an asshole.

And, for the love of whoever.. stop attacking people for being nice to others, it makes the world a horrible place.

 

[Nikolaz72]

White Knight Syndrome

n. A personality characteristic found in most males that lead them to:
.
.
.
3. Follow the dying code of chivalry and generally act like a nice guy.

So you would rather men didn't treat women decently and act like a nice person? Maybe I'm just old fashoned in thinking that chivalry is a good thing compared to youngsters and their MP3s and their internets these days. Obvious irony is obvious

TLDR: Do not defend someone because they are a woman, defend someone because they are a person.

White Knight Syndrome

n. A personality characteristic found in most males that lead them to:
.
.
.
3. Follow the dying code of chivalry and generally act like a nice guy.

So you would rather men didn't treat women decently and act like a nice person?

I wouldnt object if most people did it for the right reasons, instead of using it as a badge of honor. To be used to hold over the heads of others.

This is just my opinion buuuuuuut, I havent seen what you complain about. If you are speaking in terms of Videogames? Yea, I guess I can understand. If you are speaking in terms of real-life? You know women? You know how they work? 9/10 maybe even all 10 ( Of people I know) with the possibility of the last one being a liar 'or lesbian', doesnt love it when a guy treats them. . . Like guys. The 'Dying code of chivalry' is a way to see that the guy is treating you like a 'girl' And a lot of girls wants to be known as a 'girl' not as the gender 'XY' A lot of girls 'want' to be known as feminine, not just 'That gender that happends to spit out babies' And I think guys treating girls like girls and treating guys like bro's. Are the best kind of guys.

Sure, maybe its the system talking but, Girls enjoy High-heels. Dresses, cute things, romance. (Emphasis on that last one m8) A lot of theese girls expect for the guy to pay for the movies, and the dinner. And they expect the guy to hold the door for them. Certain parts of their gender has benefits, and for the majority of them to keep those benefits, the minority who hates having them must suffer.

 

[Peter Moore]

White Knight Syndrome

n. A personality characteristic found in most males that lead them to:
.
.
.
3. Follow the dying code of chivalry and generally act like a nice guy.

So you would rather men didn't treat women decently and act like a nice person? Maybe I'm just old fashoned in thinking that chivalry is a good thing compared to youngsters and their MP3s and their internets these days. Obvious irony is obvious

I think when he says nice guy he means "Nice Guy". Not just someone who is male and being nice, but the phenomenon of men who do things for women with the expectation that they will be owed something as a result. So in this context it would be a man who defends the woman on the internet, and then considers them a terrible person if they do not reward them for their unasked for help with attention and praise.

To steal a quote from wikipedia: The terms Nice Guy? and nice guy syndrome are used in feminist circles to describe men who view themselves as prototypical "nice guys," but whose "nice deeds" are in reality only motivated by manipulating women into a relationship and/or sex.

I agree with the OP that being nice to people online is a good thing, but doing just because someone is a woman is not. It would be better for "white knights" to just try and be decent human beings and not focus on saving women.

 

[hooksashands]

So how's your glass house treating you these days, Montezuma? =)

 

[Farther than stars]

So all this was a rant against Nice Guys (TM), huh? (Incidentally a term that's used more often than "White Knight".) I mean, sure you shouldn't treat women as helpless and brittle creatures who don't have the ability to defend themselves. But that doesn't mean that you should stop being "nice" in the literal sense of the word.
And of course I treat men and women differently, also on the internet. Everyone does. But then that's because men and women are different. The same way that I would treat a Japanese person from a Spanish person. People are naturally different and therefore have varying outlooks on life. And I try to keep that in mind when I talk to different people. That doesn't mean that I necessarily treat one person better than another.
Incidentally, are you sure that by making this thread you yourself do not suffer from "White Knight Syndrome"?

P.S. I never thought I'd see the day that someone would give the word "chivalry" negative connotations. XD

 

[Peter Moore]

P.S. I never thought I'd see the day that someone would give the word "chivalry" negative connotations. XD

Thats true. Its pretty hard to give negative connotations to something so linked with the crusades.

 

[kittii-chan 300]

"Well, this is all absolute pish!"-Frankie Boyle impersonates David Mitchell

Yes, from what I can see women are mistreated on the internet. Then again the only other places of the internet I frequent are you tube and Xbox LIVE... as many others have said: EVERYONE gets mistreated on the internet.

Everyone on the internet is treated this way, but you remain ignorant to all the others because you only care about what people think about YOU. I mean if you're gonna make a thread like this you should make one for: Black, Asian, Homosexual, Transsexual and anyone else who is mistreated, right? (this was mainly assumptions and not very valid but whatever)

Yeah, or y'know they might just not want to live in a world of sexism/ not want to read through crap on the internet/ want an excuse to insult someone because they are confrontational/ wanna be nice? (oh as if that could happen. psh, nice on the internet you make me laugh, ha ha)

*hits head on desk or similar object*

White knight syndrome!- otherwise known as, the person trying to be nice to me that I'm going to tell "You're sexist! I'm equal to you! I don't need your help with anything!" and he'll say "Well, fuck you next time you're putting up shelves" and I will look like a total *****.

Well now you're just making up shit aren't you?

...I'm pretty sure it's remembered that women are humans because otherwise other humans would have eaten them more regularly or kept them in farms or experiment on them to get better medicines for themselves.
Treating them equally would be problematic because (on an average example) women are less biologically able of doing some things than men and vice versa.

So then, if men should not help women when they are picked on does this mean that women can't defend men either? or have you made a double standard? This could only succeed in driving the genders further apart.

 

[Killclaw Kilrathi]

OP, no offense but you sound like you were being a douche to a woman on the internet and got your ass handed to you by one of these "white knights", so you came here to whine about it.

You imply that everyone should be treated equally, but you also point out that it doesn't happen anyway and that women are the ones targeted a lot. The fact that everyone should be treated equally is the REASON I come to people's defense, but for the record it's not normally women simply because they aren't picked on anywhere near as much as you say. If anything I've come to the defense of right wingers far more, not because I agree with them but because people tend to try and shout them down even when they're simply trying to add another angle to a topic instead of the usual circle jerk. It also happens the other way sometimes, it depends on where you are.

Trying to help someone who is being unfairly treated on a forum doesn't mean you want to get in their pants. Some of us just grew up before the internet was commonplace, and remember what it's like to treat people like human beings.

 

[Ferrious]

TLDR: Do not defend someone because they are a woman, defend someone because they are a person.

Fully agree, but there's a problem. How do I make it clear I'm not "White Knight"ing, but rather just want some anonymous jerk to drop their crap which is ruining a given chatspace?

Most of my "on the internet" these days is in MMOs - there's so many transgender characters (females played by males, or vice-verse) that it's never obvious who is who in terms of gender, so that makes it easier to avoid being accused of knighthood. I'm not telling you to sod off with your "Fucking women healer can't heal" bullshit because that healer is my little wife who cannot possibly defend herself on the scary internets, I'm telling you to sod off with your anti-healer attitude because you were standing in the fire.

 

[Aeonknight]

Nice to see the OP operates and bases his entire arguement on the assumption that all "white knights" have alterior motives.

I give credit where credit is due. Guy, girl, any combination of the 2, I don't care. I'll just as easily call a woman a ***** as I will "white knight" her. So how about you take your sexist views towards men and kindly gtfo.